Insights and Stories of Ralph Pearce

Jun. 29, 2016 at 7:12 pm CDT

It’s official: Spring 2016 will go down as an excessively dry season for Ontario growers — and most hope the summer will be considerably wetter. Last week, we cited reports of stressed-but-surviving corn and soybean crops in midwestern Ontario, which had received spotty showers early in the week. The crops […]

By Ralph Pearce

Jun. 27, 2016 at 7:00 am CDT

One part of Ontario is wilting under the absence of moisture, another part is… managing. As farmers in eastern Ontario look to the skies and the long-term forecasts for rainfall and relief, their colleagues in some parts of southern Ontario are doing a little better — concerned, but making do. […]

By Ralph Pearce

Jun. 24, 2016 at 2:40 am CDT

Times are tough for corn and soybean growers across parts of Ontario, with reports of wrapped leaves and low moisture levels. Hardest hit are the areas north of Toronto, through parts of Niagara and across eastern Ontario, where moisture levels in some locations are less than half of normal levels […]

By Ralph Pearce

May. 30, 2016 at 12:18 am CDT

Normally, stripe rust in winter wheat isn’t a huge problem for growers in Eastern Canada, and particularly in Ontario — at least, not at this stage of the growing season — but the 2016 growing season isn’t shaping up to be “normal” either. For now, the immediate challenge before growers […]

By Ralph Pearce

May. 24, 2016 at 8:27 pm CDT

When it comes to getting a handle on current crop conditions in Ontario, it really depends on who you ask. Conditions and progress in the southern portion of the province vary — some considerably — compared to those in eastern Ontario, particularly where it comes to planting corn and soybeans. […]

By Ralph Pearce